


Magic and Strawberries

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Magic-Users, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6348001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You have until the sun sets to tell us your answer." The words echoed in Shigeru's mind, like a broken record.<br/>He thought back on the day, trying to figure out where it went wrong. He would assume it was the previous morning, at the market place he always went to. That was when he ran into the mysterious boy, and how he got dragged into this mess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Market Day

It had always been like this, ever since Shigeru could remember. He stared out the tiny window of the house, watching as the sun slowly sank below the three in the distance. He sighed, leaping up from his spot on the chair, walking back in forth through the living room.  
"You have until the sun sets to tell us your answer." The words echoed in Shigeru's mind, like a broken record. He thought back on the day, trying to figure out where it went wrong. Where he stopped leading an average life, one no one would notice or pay attention to him. He would assume it was the previous morning, at the market place he always went to. That was when he ran into the mysterious boy, and how he got dragged into this mess.

Shigeru yawned as he set the last box down. The sun had just barely risen, and most people were still in bed. He wished he could be back in bed too, but today was the Farmer's Market, where the Yahaba family did most of their business. They grew all sorts of vegetables and fruits, but their main crop, what everyone comes to their booth to buy, is their strawberries. Shigeru pull open the top of one of the boxes, the sweet scent floating upwards into the crisp air, a cold breeze making him shiver. He should have been used to it by now, coming up to these Fall every week, but he still had to bundle up. Being from one of the Summer villages, he was used to warm heat always beating down, a cold breeze every so often to remind them that it wasn't the world would not die off from heat. It was the best condition to grow their famous strawberries in, so no matter what time of year, their crop was still always ripe and fresh. But here, where the leaves were a constant shade of deep oranges and reds, they didn't have such fruits. Their blessings were the cold atmosphere and tall trees that were shipped through out the country for lumber.  
He had been so caught up in his own thoughts that Shigeru didn't notice the man walking quickly through the quiet market place. The only other people there were the quiet street vendors, setting up their shops for the day. The boxes, still in the middle of the pathway, were directing in the way of the man, causing him to trip and fall on his face.  
"Oh, I am so sorry Sir!"  
Shigeru reached out a hand to help him up. The person grunted, and ignored him. Now that he could get a better look, the person was less like a man, and more looked like a boy. About Shigeru's age. He had bright yellow hair, cut close to his head with two brown stripes that ran from one ear to another. As he got up, Shigeru could also see that his eyes, which either looked like he was about to kill something, or someone, or just natutally had this killer look.  
"Maybe you shouldn't put your boxes in the middle of the road." The boy grunted, the deepness in his voice surprising Shigeru.  
"Maybe you should watch where you're going." He snapped back. Shigeru was taken back by the harshness in his own voice, but still, this person got on his nerves.  
The boy seemed to ponder this, looking at Shigeru for the first time since this entire incident happened. He also looked down, at the box he tripped over.  
"You sell.. strawberries?" He asked, reaching down to pick up one.  
'Yes, and they aren't free. If you want some, buy it." Shigeru said, snatching the box and setting it down with the rest of the produce. The boy grumbled some more before shoving his hand into his pocket, grabbing a shiny coin.  
"Here." He said, grabbing one of the small bags filled with the small red fruits. He stalked off, not leaving any room for any more small talk.  
"What just-" Shigeru said, looking puzzling at the coin now in his hand. It was a silver coin, enough to buy the whole box of strawberries, never mind just one small bag. Shigeru sighed, putting the coin in his pocket.  
"This day better not get any weirder." He mumbled.  
After setting up and several hours of running their both, Shigeru's younger brother took his place. He strolled around the market, the scent of so many foods and plants mixing. He stopped by one of the flower stalls, the flowers from the Spring villages were always the most color and sweetest smelling. He bought a small bunch of white carnations, since he mother always loved to have plants to liven up their house.  
"Buying that for a sweetheart?" The older lady asked as Shigeru put down several bronze coins. "Those flowers generally mean admiration and love."  
"No, just for my family." He said, not wanting to talk about his love life with a stranger.  
"Oh, well then." The woman sighed. "Always such interesting tales, young lovers make."  
He walked quickly away from the stall, not wanting to talk anymore about it. For some reason, the lady gave him shivers down his spine. But soon enough, both her and the conversation were forgotten as Shigeru continued his shopping through the market place.  
Even in the middle of the day, when back home they would go inside to shield themselves from the sometimes unbearable heat, all that the afternoon brought was jut a slightly warmer breeze.  
"I could get used to this." Shigeru sighed, the chill from earlier gone, leaving him only to bask in the soft warm glow from the sun. The rest of the day was uneventful, switching the duty of running the stall with his sibling through out the rest of the afternoon. As the stream of people that flowed through the market started to become more of a trickle, Shigeru decided it was time to pack up. The Sun was starting to set, and they still had to get home. As usual, they sold most of their produce, the strawberries selling out before even noon. They had created a good name for themselves, the Yahaba family always did good, honest business. They had gained lots of loyal customers this way, making life a bit easier for them. He wiped the sweat off his face, as he loaded the last box into the wagon.  
"Already, let me wrap up a few things and we should be off." He said to the younger Yahaba, who nodded and climbed into the wagon. Shigeru walked back to the stall, making sure that all their money was accounted for.  
"Yep, that should be it-" He said, turning back towards the wagon. There was a blur, then a something flew across his face, covering his mouth. He tried to yell, but the person grabbed his arm, dragging him in one of the alleyways that the many stalls created. Shigeru had no idea what to do, this had never happened before. He was just a small strawberry farmer, what did this person want with him? His eyes adjusted to the darkest of the area, blinking several times before he could get a good look at his surroundings.  
"I'm gonna let go, but don't scream." The voice said from behind him. It sounded so familiar, but he couldn't place it. "Or we take all the money in that wagon over by the hills." The person continued. Shigeru nodded, well, as best he could with a person holding onto his face. He slowly let go, Shigeru then wiping around to see the face of this mysterious person.  
"It's you!" Shigeru gasped, seeing the face of the boy from early, the one who tripped over the box.  
"Yes, it's me." The boy replied, sounding bored. "Now keep quiet, the others will be here soon."  
"Others?" Shigeru gulped. What was this even about? Why did they want him? Should he make a break for it?  
All these questions swirled together in his mind, making his head start to spin.  
"Don't even think about running." The boy growled, making Shigeru tense. "I wasn't kidding about taking all the money, and I'm sure your family needs it."  
"How do you know anything about my-"  
"Lucky guess." The boy said, a small grin on his face. "You have a little brother helping run the stall, correct? Well if you both lived on your own, I would assume that he would probably be back at the house, helping gather the crops. Also, there is no way the two of you grow all those plants by yourselves. So," The boy concluded. "You would either need to hire helpers, which in that case you wouldn't need to sell at the market, you would have enough money for the two of you to live on your own, or you have a family. Simple." The boy said all this without changing the scowl that seemed to be permanently be etched into his face. Shigeru just stood there, finding it better just to keep his mouth shut for now. After several minutes of this silence, there was movement in the shadows.  
"Ah." The boy said, walking forward. "You finally made it."  
There was two tall men, the shorter one having bright pink hair, the other, dark and curly, with think eyebrows.  
"Well, it does take time to get past all the guards, especially so close to big city, Kyoutani." Said the one with the pink hair.  
At least now Shigeru knew the name of the boy who dragged him into this. The taller one, the one with the huge eyesbrows, walked forward, moving his gaze from Kyoutani to Shigeru.  
"I assume you didn't tell him anything?" He said, after looking Shigeru up and down. His question directed back at the yellow haired boy.  
"Just dragged him here, like they asked." That comment caused pink hair to put his hand up to his face.  
"You can't just drag people off and expect them not to think we are a group of thugs."  
"But it worked, he's here isn't he?"  
Their attention was brought back to Shigeru.  
"Well, he's here now. You better have brought us someone useful, Kyoutani. I don't like having my time wasted."  
Shigeru gulped, wondering what this all meant.  
"So kid," The one with big eyesbrows said, moving closer. "What do you know about magic?"


	2. Choices

Magic. That word in Yahaba's world was not one spoken of lightly, or in most conversations. Sure, it was always there, lingering in the back of peoples' minds, but never said aloud. Not since what had happened all those long years ago. Everyone knew the stories, when magic was plentiful, but it also brought with it all the dangers of having such powers. How the beasts came, and they were stopped, but at a price. It was a sensitive topic, even today, especially with the currently Royal Family.

"Wha-what about it?" Shigeru said, his eyes staring at the ground. He didn't want to have this conversation, especially not with strangers.

"Oh come on." Kyoutani barked, sounding irritated. "You or your family must use some type of elemental magic. No one can grow that good of strawberries, not to mention that many, even from one of the Summer towns."

Crap, crap, crap. No one was suppose to notice. They were just needed to buy and go on their merry way, no needing to stick their nose in where it didn't belong.  
"I, have a big family." Shigeru said, wincing at the pause in his remark.

"Oh?" The one with pink hair asked. "Why don't we visit them? I would love to see the Summer countryside, since I haven't been there in so long. It would be very refreshing."

"I mean, they are very busy, with growing and harvesting and such." Shigeru tried desperately to try and come up with something that would make them stop.

"We wouldn't bother them long, just a small chat." Big eyebrows said.  
Shigeru's eyes darted between the three in front of him, his odds of escaping, close to zero. 

"So our family has a bit of magic, so what?" Shigeru said, his tone barely above a whisper. He subconciously rubbed the small ring on his finger, hiding it from the three of them.

"Ah, so you finally told the truth, good for you." Pink hair again. "And, for your information, it matters a lot."

"What are you going to do, report us to the Royal Family? Are you like, trying get rid of competition in the market? Because let me tell you-" Shigeru's blood started to boil. If he was going to go out, he would with a bang.

"Whoa, calm down there, kid." Bushy eyebrows said, grabbing hold of one of Shigeru's arms. "We aren't gonna report you or something. But," He turned, looking at the pink hair.

"Makki, should we tell him?" I guess his name was Makki.

"Do you promise," Makki started, taking a few steps forward, every time his foot fell, it seemed to ring in Shigeru's eyes. "To never speak of this to anyone of what we are about to tell you? Because if you do, there will be consequences." He was now only a few inches away, staring coldly at him. Shigeru managed a small nod, which seemed to satisfy Makki. Shigeru took a deep breath after the tall man stepped back. 

"So," Busy eyebrows started, as if was about to tell a story. "We are part of a group. One that recruits people who are still in possession of a soul weapon."  
Shigeru had heard many tales of soul weapons. After magic disappeared, these weapons seemed to be its replacement. They took many shapes, but ultimately were placed into four categories. Strength, Speed, Long Range, and Elemental. Shigeru didn't really know a lot about them, since no one has used them in so long, since there was no need. All magic creatures who once terrorized the land were gone after magic went. The currently Royal Family also put out a law, with the help of the council, to make sure there was never any violence against non-threatening beings. So now, unless you had perrmission from higher ups, which was practically impossible, it would be breaking the law to use these weapons, ever. Now most were taken by the Royal Army, or never saw the light of day. 

With all magic now gone, the world became a place where you either become useful, or, well, you starve to death. Most people became farmers or workers in factories. It was a hard life, with Shigeru and his family barely staying a float, even though how well their business does.

"Why would you need to look for people who have those?" Shigeru's head felt like it was spinning in circles.

"Is he really this dense." Kyoutani muttered, making Shigeru's ears burn red.

"Now, Kyoutani, remember you're the one who wanted to recruit him, so his intelligence is on you."

"I didn't think he would be this stupid, Matsukawa."

At this point Shigeru's blood was boiling.

"Could you maybe talk to me like I was standing in front of you?" He snapped, making the three of them turn.

"There is some fire in him after all." Matsukawa looked at him again, as if seeing him for the first time. 

"To answer your question, we are a, well, you could call us an organization. You see, we are currently unhappy with the way our country is run, and hope to change it. By force, if necessary"

"So, you're a rebel group." 

"Yes, I suppose you could call us that. We want to help the people, not fight them. So we are looking for people to help us show the Royal Family what they are doing is wrong. Then, we will show them how to fix their mistakes. For that to happen though, we need power, which is why we need people with weapons." He finished his speech, waiting for Shigeru to reply.

"So," Shigeru started slowly, processing all of this.

"So do you have a soul weapon or not." Kyoutani spit out, glaring at Shigeru. Shigeru glared back, matching his gaze, making the intimidating gaze shift downward. Shigeru grinned at this small victory.

"What would I gain from it? Joining your little group, I mean."

"Well, what our 'amazing' leader would probably say is something alone the lines of 'You would be doing both yourself and this country a great service, which when we help reform this land, it won't go unnoticed.' Or something like that." Makki said, puffing out his chest as he seem to be quoting someone.

"But, no matter how enticing that sounds, there is something a bit more, immediate. You get a chance to leave your small country life, and part of something bigger. You get a chance to chance your boring life into something that is worth telling."

Shigeru thought back to his family, how no matter what seemed to happened, they barely stayed a float money wise. What would happen to them if he would leave? Go off on some grand adventure, possibly never come back?"

"Oh, and there is the money portion. Probably should have started with that." 

"What money?"

"Oh you know, some of us have connections, and you don't run a, what did you call it? A rebel group on nothing more than a few scared kids. We will pay all of the supports of our cause, or else we would be just as bad as the higher ups. They let the poor people, the 'lower class' become something that if you are so unfortunate to become one, make life a living hell. Trust me, most of us know what it's like to not know if you will make enough money to eat, or feed your family."  
Shigeru thought about all of this, the words swirling in his head like a mini tornado.

"You don't have to tell us now, you can have a day to think about it."

"But, how am I going to find you?"

"Don't worry." Matsukawa smirked, making Shigeru shiver. "We will find you. You have until the sun sets to tell us your answer." He said, with a wave of his hand, he started walking away. Makki and Kyoutani followed, soon all three of them disappearing into the darkness they had came from.  
Shigeru stood there, blinking. Had that really just happened? He rubbed the silver ring on his finger, looking up to the sky. It had dark shades of purple and red, the sun almost gone for the day, making way for the moon to watch over the night.  
"I guess I will find out tomorrow if this was real." He muttered to the still air. 

He walked out of the alley, all of the people from the bustling market, now gone home to their families.  
He walked up the hill to where the small wagon stood. His brother, asleep and unharmed, snored softly. He had a chance to change their lives, to make this world better. Or, he could stay as he was, his family just barely providing for their needs, but safety was much more in reach.What Makki and Matsukawa spoke of, it sounded almost like war, and war was a place far from being safe. He also didn't want to make a rebel group upset with his family. That would never end well.

He now have a choice to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was very much an information chapter because I need to explain at least some how this world works.  
> More action to come.

**Author's Note:**

> Magic AUs yay!~  
> I have been thinking about this one for a while. I have some stuff planned (like ships :D) hope you enjoy my first longer fic~


End file.
